Repainting of a wooden Lightning, epoxy or not epoxy?

[brambil]

Dear all, I write form Italy.

I have wooden Lightning, in Cedar wood single layer, that is 50years old. The boat is ok, has never leaked, but needed a repaint and I had to strip down to wood due a bad repainting of the last year.

The boat is a single-layer of cedar in bottom, not double planked, and has a second floor in plywood, the double bottom is inspectable through 6 hole but I can't paint inside it everywhere ... my arms are not so long! I checked all through a cam and there is no rot, from outside wood sounds good and looks better.

The boat is sailed 6 months/year in saltwater, it goes in water to be sailed and then come back on the beach, never sleep in water, so in a year it would stays in saltwater about 40days. The boat is always outside the water, near the sea: on the beach. When stays on the beach all the cap are open so air can circulate inside and not water stain inside.


Originally it was painted with a primer Epoxy and 2 hands of polyurethane paint.

Looking to the major producer of paint available in Europe, no-one suggest this method for solid wood. (Eg. Epifanel, International that are worldwide known, or Cecchi, Veneziani... any suggestion about the best one?)

Now I am in doubt on how to paint go with an epoxy resin (West System) to penetrate the wood or with standard paint as paint-producer suggest?

I don't want use fiberglass!
My doubt is if made a layer of epoxy and then epoxy primer and polyurethane with the doubts on what happens if the wood gets wet for some reasons (maybe a little scratch), what will happen? Or paint with method suggested by paint producer?

Eventually, opinion on epoxy and then varnish or transparent polyurethane?






This is the interior (you can see the double bottom), also here I will go to bare wood and then... epoxy or just varnish???




Thanks!

 

[brambil]

This is the aft, where you can see the construction method of the bottom.

 

[debenriver]

If you go with WEST system or similar, then I think you would need to coat both inside and outside to encapsulate the bottom, which means stripping out the ply sole - which seems a pointless exercise if it is in good condition inside there. Otherwise you will have the outside essentially vapour and liquid impermeable while the inside isn't – which is not at all ideal.

In fact, if you were going to epoxy the boat, I would do the whole hull, inside and out, including the decks – which is a big undertaking and currently obviously unecessary.

I would paint the hull with standard paint as recommended. Then the timber can breathe OK.

Cheers -- George

 

[wombat88]

I look after a couple of old dinghies. I would keep it simple and use use paint. Easy to look after and touch up.

 

[brambil]

Thanks, the answer is coral to "old style".

Monocomponent or polyurethanic?

Any suggest?
Epifanes?
International?
AWL?
Venziani?

Other?

 

[debenriver]

Personally I'd probably user International – but they are all excellent.

I think I'd stick with one-pot conventional, with a good primer that really soaks into the timber.

Cheers -- George

 

[brambil]

good primer that really soaks into the timber.

I'm listening for any specific suggestion.

 

[wombat88]

I get good quality undercoat and top coat mixed to the colour I desire by the local paint factor.

If you are going to keep it on a hot Italian beach keep the colour as light as possible, or even white to keep the surface temperature down.

If in doubt about paint manufacturers International should be available, also maybe Blakes. See what is available locally.

Primer or thinned undercoat to start. (Some say there is little difference between primer and undercoat).

Plenty of thinned coats.

If painting white I have used white undercoat, followed by a 50/50 mix undercoat and gloss and then gloss.

Well, that's how I do it, works for me.